Like a digital Genghis Khan, Major League Gaming has brought together the disparate tribes of eSports providers to fly under one flag. On November 15, MLG announced via their website that henceforth they would be collaborating with ESL and DreamHack in order to “unify and align…[their] eSports activity on a global basis”. They state the purpose of this is to “further competitive activity, benefit players and spectators, alleviate the taxing event schedule, eliminate confusion about global standings and help nurture the development of North American and European players.” Basically, it’s a two-pronged move – firstly, to streamline the convoluted world of eSports for the players themselves, and secondly to coordinate the three providers efforts in order to ensure global domination. Sundance DiGiovanni, flamboyantly named CEO and Co-founder of MLG, had this to say:

“The growth of competitive gaming over the last few years has been staggering and we have now reached the point where we need to align our efforts to advance eSports on a global scale…The collaboration between our organizations is the first step in a united effort to take the sport to the next level while benefiting all of those involved.”

The MLG website quotes Robert Ohlén, CEO of DreamHack AB, as saying:

“This joint initiative by MLG, ESL and DreamHack is something that will insure the continued growth of eSports that we have been seeing during the past 24 months, for the players, the audience and the industry as a whole.”

“We are confident that with this partnership we are shaping the future of our sport.” Focusing on the challenges that currently face the players and teams that participate, such as conflicting tourney schedules and myriad ranking systems, he says “Working with DreamHack and MLG we can create a more manageable and sustainable infrastructure for players that will become the basis for eSports to realize its full potential.”

On all three of their websites, the providers announced that their partnership includes, but is not limited to the following:

Universal Ranking: A universal ranking system across organizations for all major game titles directly impacting seeding and event qualification.

Master Tournament Calendar: One event calendar ensuring a minimum or no conflicts to ease players’ schedules and enables fans across the globe to easily spectate.

Unified Competition Structure: Development of a unified competition structure for all major titles at all tournaments.

Talent and Marketing Efforts: Cross promotion and support for all leagues to drive further awareness for eSports and league activities, as well as a shared roster of commentators and broadcast talent.

In related news, GamerSyndrome.com will soon be starting a weekly column dedicated to eSports. We will keep you up to date on the latest world standings, tournament results, and have interviews and articles with the players themselves. If you have any feedback or ideas, leave it in the comments or head over to the forums!

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Based in the English countryside, Dan spends the majority of his time reading horror novels and refining his frankly bullet-proof zombie apocalypse survival plan. Follow him on Twitter @TheGamePunk